Latest Full Tilt

Winter. I’m not big on it. If you play any instrument that involves dexterous finger work, you probably aren’t big on it, either. How many times have you started playing a fast riff or lick onstage and quickly realized your fingers weren’t moving as fast as your brain?

If you haven’t already noticed, this fear-based mentality crops up a lot in local music scenes everywhere. A jaded old-timer rambles off why the music industry is a trap to an enthusiastic newcomer who didn’t ask for his opinion. “It’s all about the money,” he wheezes. Hmmm …

As a guitar player, I wouldn’t have made much progress if it weren’t for the work of others who came along before I did. But whether you’re a modest fan or you like to wear your influences on your sleeve (literally), don’t act like you have none. That’s just being a douche. Douches have no friends because nobody likes douches — except pussies …

Remember back in elementary school when your cafeteria, auditorium and gymnasium were all in the same room? Yeah, the all-purpose room. Depending on the time of day, that room got used for everything from pizza to dodgeball to latchkey to the sock hop. You could say the room had a few modes ...

Back in college, I transcribed the two-handed tapping section of the guitar solo from “Get The Funk Out” by Extreme. Looking back, I’m probably more proud of my hand notation and observance of musical nomenclature formalities than any of the actual transcription. You won’t find a more accurate transcription of this thing anywhere else. The reason I share this with you is because it might be … too accurate.